by Tori Harris
“Do any of you ever remember reading the story of American Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe during the Second World War’s Battle of the Bulge?”
Patterson saw a few nods here and there, but mostly just blank stares. “It doesn’t matter, I was going to tell you the story anyway,” he grinned. “Towards the end of the war, McAuliffe — who was acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division at the time — was deployed with a relatively small group of glider infantry troops when they became encircled by a much larger German force at Bastogne, Belgium. I’m summarizing a bit, but when the German commander sent him an ultimatum threatening the annihilation of his troops as well as innocent civilians in the area if he refused to surrender, McAuliffe famously sent the following reply:
To: The German Commander
NUTS!
From: The American Commander
“Now, many of you who have worked with me probably know that I’m not a big fan of foul language, and neither was General McAuliffe. In fact, his personal aide said that General Mac was the only general he ever knew who didn’t speak using a steady stream of profanity. Sadly, I guess it’s safe to say that a general officer with a clean mouth was as rare in 1944 as it is today. So when the typed message was delivered to the German lines, the receiving officers were confused by the rather enigmatic, one-word response. When asked for an explanation, the American colonel who delivered the message replied simply, ‘In plain English? It means go to hell.’
“What we face here today is similar in many respects. You and I might be tempted to think that the consequences of our failing in the coming battle makes any comparison to the Battle of the Bulge seem a bit trivial. But to the soldiers on the ground in Bastogne, I can guarantee you that it was absolutely no different. Their lives, and the safety of their families back home, were on the line every bit as much as ours are today. So if nothing else, my friends, take comfort from the fact that we are by no means the first commanders to face this kind of situation, and I’m every bit as confident as General McAuliffe was that we will prevail in the end.”
“Sir,” one of the vidcon participants spoke up, “what happened to General Mac and his troops?”
“Ah, well, the German general in command of the artillery they had threatened to use on Bastogne had been so confident that the Americans would surrender that he had already moved his forces out of range. German infantry made a number of attempts to take the area, but without their supporting artillery, they were unable to dislodge the American defenders. General McAuliffe’s troops managed to hold on for four days until being reinforced by the 4th Armored Division on the day after Christmas. So the point of my story is that it’s very often courage, perseverance, and even a little defiance thrown in that tends to be decisive in battle, not ships and weapons … unless, of course, you truly are hopelessly outgunned,” he chuckled. “And, ladies and gentlemen, we are most certainly not hopelessly outgunned.”
Taking in a deep breath and consciously drawing himself up to his full height, Patterson was pleased by the apparent changes in his audience he noted on the view screen. “Anyway,” he said after a momentary pause, “we all have lots of work to do, so let’s wrap this up, shall we? Back to the Sazoch bio weapon … the delivery system works a lot like the interceptors I described earlier that are fired by the Carrada Area Denial pods. The most obvious differences are their slower speed and significantly increased size. This is probably due to the fact that they carry a much larger payload as well as the same engines used by their standard anti-ship missiles.
“To begin an attack, the ‘vehicle,’ as they refer to it, is fired from its host ship towards the target planet. At first, it’s essentially just a large, unpowered projectile. As it approaches atmospheric entry interface, however, fairings covering the engine nozzle detach, allowing its engine to engage for a long-duration deceleration burn. This results in a relatively low speed — and, thus, low temperature — reentry profile. At first glance, it looks as if the entire design of what we might call ‘stage one’ of this thing is focused on maintaining a relatively low temperature throughout the reentry process. We might be able to infer from this that the biological agents onboard are at least somewhat vulnerable to extreme temperature changes.
“Once the vehicle reaches relatively low altitude, say six thousand meters or so, it deploys small wings and its primary focus becomes that of a drone delivery vehicle. Again, it looks as if the designers intentionally kept the speed relatively low at just over four kilometers per second — roughly the same speed as some of our older hypersonic cruise missiles designed for purely atmospheric flight. The vehicle ‘sprints’ at this speed between release points, decelerates, deploys a number of small, autonomous drones, then accelerates again for the trip to the next release point. The drones themselves are capable of high subsonic speeds, and they are what actually deliver the biological agent — most likely targeting heavily populated areas first.
“Now I understand that for our latest generation of fighters, particularly the F-373, this sounds like a relatively straightforward exercise in air defense, but, as you might expect, it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. First off, the delivery vehicle itself is designed to be all but invisible, and I mean from just about any sensor you can name — visible light, infrared, radar, whatever. We’ve already done some analysis and believe the best opportunity for detection will be during its deceleration burn … if it has one, that is. If the host ship slows sufficiently to allow for a relatively low-speed deployment, however, we may literally never see this thing before it starts deploying drones. Note that the delivery vehicle itself can be targeted to reenter — or simply be released — at any location above the planet’s surface. Once inside the atmosphere, four kilometers per second is still fast enough to fly from one side of Australia to the other in just over sixteen minutes. And if the bio-agents are as lethal as Commander Takkar indicated, how big of an area it covers is probably a moot point anyway. A single successful deployment of one of these Sazoch drones might well be sufficient to kill off virtually every Human being on the planet inside of a few months.
“When I first started looking at this thing, my first thought was that we should focus our initial attacks on destroying the Gunov as quickly as possible after she arrives. Once she has escorted her task force to the immediate vicinity of Earth, however, she will no longer be burdened with providing navigational assistance for her consorts. That means she will have the capability to execute rapid transitions, if necessary, just like our ships.
“Frankly, I don’t think Commodore Sarafi will risk allowing his flagship to be brought into the battle early on. Instead, I think he will transition repeatedly, if necessary, to avoid combat. That being the case, if we immediately go after the Gunov, we run the risk that he might elect to proceed with his Sazoch attack while the rest of his forces are still engaged with ours. His older battleships, on the other hand, do not have the capability to make rapid transitions, and even if they did, I expect their strategy will be to stand and fight.
“Taking all of that into account, in order of priority, we must attack and eliminate the six Rusalov battleships, followed by the two Baldev battleships, the single remaining defense cruiser, then, finally the destroyer Gunov. I will begin issuing deployment orders within twelve hours, and I need each of your ships prepared to execute your orders immediately.
“That’s really all I have for the moment. I know we’ve only scratched the surface of many of these topics, and ignored many others that also require our attention. That means I’m relying on each and every one of you to perform at your absolute best, and I know that you will do exactly that. Now, all of us need to get moving, but is there anything remaining that any of you feel urgently needs to be addressed at this time?”
Since it was clear that Admiral Patterson was hoping to avoid further questions, it took several seconds before anyone among the audience of mostly senior officers had the courage to speak up. Just as he was about to sign off, t
he admiral heard the distinctive chime indicating that one of the participants had a question.
“Yes, someone had a question?” he asked. Throughout most of the briefing, Patterson had been looking over the top of his glasses to allow him to read his notes. Now, raising his chin so that he could glance at the distant view screen in an effort to identify the source of the question, he had the look of a particularly irritated college professor. “Oh … Commander Reynolds from the Theseus,” he said, his tone immediately softening as if to recognize a favored student. “Go ahead, Commander.”
“Admiral, what about the Guardian spacecraft. Has it given us any indication of how it will react once we come under attack? It has said many times that it has defended the Earth for hundreds of years, so can we not expect that it will continue to do so?”
“Thank you, Commander, I’m glad you brought that up because I had intended to mention it. The short answer is that we have no idea what, if anything, the Guardian will do. If it really has been defending us for hundreds of years, it doesn’t seem to make much sense that it would choose now as the moment to stop doing so. Even if it allows us to do most of the fighting, it seems reasonable to expect that at some point it would provide some level of assistance, particularly if things were going badly for our side. Having said that, however, it has also referenced the fact that its defensive mission was to last ‘only until we had the means to defend ourselves.’ It has also at least implied that its continuing in that role required that we make a decision as to whether we intended to join the Pelaran Alliance. That decision process, as you know, will most likely take many months to complete, so I suppose it’s possible that we’re in some kind of probationary, pre-membership limbo period at the moment. In any event, Admiral Sexton and I are planning to attempt contact later today to see if we can get some idea of its intentions. Frankly, if it doesn’t plan to help, my preference is that it leaves the immediate area before the shooting starts. We have enough to worry about without having that thing in our way while we’re going toe to toe with the Resistance.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” Reynolds replied.
“Of course. Now, if there is nothing further …” Patterson paused very briefly, but had no real intention of waiting for further questions. “Very good. Expect deployment orders by 2000Z. Once you receive them, move smartly to get your ships into position and be prepared for additional instructions. Godspeed to you all. Patterson out.”
Marine Rescue Flight 901, Location Dagger
(Near SCS Keturah External Access Point One)
The Sherpa ASV shuttle had no windows in its passenger/cargo area. Instead, two large view screens were installed on the forward bulkhead that separated the aft spaces from what was still referred to as the “cockpit.” Rather than rely on such a limited view of the situation outside the ship, however, Lieutenant Jacks and his Marines had configured their helmet displays to simply ignore the presence of the shuttle in which they were traveling. Much like the view commonly preferred by Reaper fighter pilots, the effect was so immersive that — after taking a few seconds to adjust — it was difficult for the Human mind to grasp that they weren’t already operating their EVA suits outside the confines of the shuttle.
“I’ve got the first access point,” Jacks announced, commanding his helmet display to zoom in on the area while also highlighting it with a pulsating green oval within the other squad members’ fields of view. While Jacks wasn’t actually in control of the Sherpa shuttlecraft itself, the ship’s AI responded to his very thoughts — much like a Human pilot might react to requests and updates from a mission commander riding in the back of his ship. In fact, ASVs were rarely controlled by an onboard crew (although it was still possible to exercise “local” flight control during an emergency). In most situations envisioned for either the Sherpa or her militarized cousin, the Gurkha, it was considered unlikely that even an experienced pilot could handle the small ship any more effectively than its onboard AI. Now, as Lieutenant Jacks surveyed the area surrounding their first point of entry, he was able to get a better feel for how his troops would access the external hatch, offload their supplies, and defend themselves in case of attack. In response, the two shuttlecraft banked smoothly to starboard, then slowly closed the remaining distance to put themselves in precisely the positions he had in mind.
“Squad displays local,” Jacks commanded using his neural interface, instantly switching his team’s integrated helmet displays back to a view inside their shuttles as they prepared to dismount. “Theseus Flight Ops, Marine Rescue Flight niner zero one preparing for EVA. Any changes in the target?”
“Negative, niner zero one,” the Flight Ops controller responded. “No changes in emissions or power levels detected and no response to hails.”
“Niner zero one copies. Proceeding with EVA. Call sign change to ‘Rescue 11.’”
“Rescue 11, Theseus Flight Ops acknowledged.”
Just under two minutes later, the Marines in both shuttles had completed a final set of equipment checks and received their go order from Lieutenant Jacks. Unlike the Gurkha, which was tailored specifically for missions of this type, the Sherpa was not equipped with side-mounted cargo doors, forcing all of the Marines to dismount via the shuttle’s aft cargo ramp. The fact that there were only fifteen troops present, however, expedited the process, and moments later, all but two members of the squad had taken up positions initially placing the two shuttles between themselves and the nearby access point on the Keturah’s starboard hull. The remaining two Marines stationed themselves atop one of the Sherpas and quickly improvised a mount for their R229 Squad Light Railgun (SLR) utilizing a hardpoint typically employed for securing external cargo containers.
Continuing to scan the side of the massive cruiser, Jacks noted several heavy beam emitter apertures close by, most likely of the same type the Hadeon had used to take down forty-eight anti-ship missiles in just a few seconds during their battle with the Baldev. At such short range, the huge energy weapons looked as though they were aimed directly at his small, absurdly exposed force. Jacks wondered briefly whether his mind would even have the chance to register what was happening if one of them discharged. Probably not, so probably not worth worrying about he thought darkly, then pushed the notion out of his mind and pressed on with the business at hand.
“SLR online,” the railgun team lead announced. Unlike many of the other basic status updates that passed between members of the squad, this particular one was always done verbally, largely because the readiness of the unit’s heavy weapon tended to immediately precede the order to execute the next phase of the mission. A powerful weapon with a long, distinguished lineage, the R229 could trace its origin all the way back to famous designs from the likes of Richard Gatling, Sir Hiram Maxim, and John Browning. Unlike those weapons, however, the SLR used a miniaturized version of the electromagnetic launchers used aboard Fleet’s warships, providing a level of firepower that would have been inconceivable during the long reign of gunpowder-based propellants. Too small to include a gravitic generator capable of counteracting the inertia of its kinetic energy rounds during launch, the weapon still produced a recoil significant enough to require it to be secured in place. In this case, mounting it atop the Sherpa meant that the shuttle itself would be required to use its Cannae thrusters to precisely maintain its position in space once the SLR opened fire. The relatively compact weapon was served by a crew of two: the team lead — generally a corporal who managed the accompanying power and ammunition supplies, and a gunner — normally a private first class who was responsible for the weapon itself. During combat ops, the team lead took on a number of additional roles including acting as a spotter, equipment manager, and communications specialist, all while working to ensure the weapon’s perimeter and rear security.
With a final quick check of his squad’s position, Lieutenant Jacks designated two Marines to accompany him on the short trip to the first access point before arcing up and over the top of his shuttle in the dir
ection of the Keturah.
Chapter 14
TFS Theseus, Location Dagger
(3.3 light years from Earth)
“Report,” Captain Prescott said as he and Commander Reynolds emerged from his ready room.
“Sir, the hangar deck reports that they will have the last F-373 secured within the next one four minutes,” Lieutenant Commander Schmidt reported, vacating his captain’s command chair and relieving the standby crew lieutenant who had been sitting in for him at the Tactical 1 console. “We also have a crew of five from Engineering performing an EVA at the moment, including Commander Logan himself. He said to tell you that he would have everyone back onboard by the time the Flight Deck completes their recovery operation.”
“Commander Logan is outside … right now?” Prescott asked, suppressing the urge to sound irritated. Although his chief engineer could sometimes act in a manner that bordered on impulsiveness, Prescott had never known him to exercise poor judgment or take a risk without a good reason for doing so.
“Yes, sir. He said to tell you that they needed to take care of an urgent problem with one of the heat exchangers that was damaged during the battle with the Baldev and that the repair should only take a few minutes. He also said that he was taking a couple of extra people with him in hopes of replacing some shield emitters while they were out there.”
“And he didn’t want to interrupt the XO and me during our secure vidcon, right,” Prescott smiled.
“Yes, he said that too, sir.”
“Alright, fine. Lieutenant Dubashi, will you please keep tabs on Commander Logan’s team and hurry them along as best you can?”
“Aye, sir, will do.”